The Bold Team

Christopher Salute is CEO of Bold Media Incorporated, and is an expert in e-commerce, internet marketplaces, social media, and digital media marketing. His research includes weight discrimination, gender issues, and social media addiction. He has an MBA from Molloy College and his PhD from Hofstra University in Applied Organizational Psychology. Salute teaches business and technology courses at Long Island University and is the Asst. Dean of the College of Management. He also own a small consulting firm to help plus size women jumpstart their careers. He sits on numerous charity boards in his spare time.

Alyssa Roench, Director of Operations

Twenty-eight year old Texas Native, Alyssa Roensch, joined the Bold staff this past August. Being plus size since puberty, Alyssa learned at an early age that larger people often faced discrimination in almost all areas of life. Her passions include children with disabilities, feline nutrition, and advocating for the body positive, plus positive, and size acceptance movements. Roench is directly responsible for all Bold Magazine operations

Aby is a plus size model & body positive influencer based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. Her mission began after attending Plus Size Events and experiencing the impact of meeting several other beautiful, confident, individuals, and hearing their experiences. Her goal is to promote and encourage body positivity and self-love through my Instagram page and through supporting Plus Size Events. In a joint venture with Bold Magazine we’ve created a movement #CardigansToBikinis (because of her experience in shedding her cardigan at her first event) to represent this transformation and share similar journeys in the plus size community.

Mel Mayhem is a plus size model and hobby photographer based in San Antonio, TX. Mel is part of a fashion and performing collective in San Antonio named La Santa Luna and a model for Creeping Beauty, Inc. She uses her Instagram to try and show others that anything is possible when they see their mind to it. She’s an advocate for those who have mental illness and has even volunteered to help train law enforcement how to handle situations involving that community. Mel hopes to spread positivity and love wherever she can reach to show others the kindness that might not be shown enough in this world. As Bold Magazine’s Modeling Manager, Mel Mayhem works on our model outreach, social media takeovers, and product distribution.

Justine Kay is a plus size YouTuber and is all about body positivity. She uses Instagram and YouTube to spread her love for fashion and beauty to all, while hoping to help others feel good in their skin. She loved connecting with followers weekly during her youtube lives. Justine knows this self love journey is never ending, she is enjoying sharing her journey along the way. Justine is coffee obsessed probably due to her Seattle roots. She hopes to let her confidence and positive outlook spread to all, like the emerald city she lives in.